Refrigerator door locking and opening mechanism



Oct. 14, 1952 P. w BRINKOETER 2,613,973

REFRIGERATOR DOOR LOCKING AND OPENING MECHANISM Filed May 23, 1949 2 SE'lEETS-SHEET l Oct. 14, 1952 P. H. BRINKOETER 2,613,973

REFRIGERATOR DOOR LOCKING AND OPENING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Paul HBrznkoeZen ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 REFRIGERATOR DOOR LOCKING AND OPENING MECHANISM Paul H. Brinkoeter, San Antonio, Tex., assignor toEd. Friedrich, Inc., San Antonio, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application May 23, 1949, Serial No. 94,848

1 Claim.

My invention relates to concealed locks and lock releasing means operated by a foot pedal to unlatch the door and enable the door to be thrown open to approximately a 45 angle.

I am aware that refrigerator door latches with foot pedal or treadle release means have heretofore been provided but all those that have come to my attention are defective in one way or another. Eitherthey are too expensive to construct and maintain, or they have some mechanical defect which renders them unreliable.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide alatching-releasing mechanism that will be free from such defects.

To that end I have provided the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail Vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring retainer plate.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures; I represents a portion of a refrigerator case having a doorway ID The case includes a suitable frame 2, 2, 2 2 2 sheathed on th outside by a metal sheath 26 (see Figs. 1 and 3).

The frame of the case is recessed as at 3 to receive a push rod body or bracket 6 which is screwed (at I) to a face plate 4 which covers the recess 3 and is rigidly held in place by screws 5.

8 is a rubber strip into which one edge of the doorway trim frame 9 is set. The trim 9 (metal) has a slot 9 for the strike portions II II to pass. The strike I I is secured to plate 4 by screws I I and to the frame 2 by a screw I I which passes through the strip 8.

Pivoted in the body 6 at I3 is a bell crank lever I2 having bifurcated ends I2 I2 A push rod I6 is pivoted at I in the end I2 while a linkage rod I9 is pivoted at I4 in the end I2. A spring I! on the rod I6 between the lever I2 and the plate 4 continuously tends to retract the rod while a stop pin 18 limits the forward movement of the rod I6. The end of the rod which projects into the bifurcated end I2 is flattened as at IE5 while the free end of the rod is .bevelled as at I 6* so that the bevelled surface will register with the working face of the strike when the push rod is in its projected position and give an initial outward push when the pedal 24 is depressed by the foot of the operator.

a guide pin 40 that lies within a spring 38.

The linkage rod passes down through an opening 2 to beneath the bottom portion 2 of the box or case I and passes through a passage 24 in a treadle 24. The treadle 24 is pivoted at 23 to the ears 2| of a treadle bracket 2I that is secured against the base trim plate by screws 22. The linkage rod I9 has a rod catch 25 held by a set screw 25 and located against the underside of the treadle. The treadle projects slightly beyond the front face of the case as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The front rim 26 of the case terminates short of the treadle 24 (see Fig. 3)

The strike I I includes a hump I I, a depression II a fiat portion H and outwardly extended portion II terminating in a foot II that lies against the trim 9 (Fig. 1). That portion of the strike II which extends from the strip 8 to the hump I I is inclined at an angle of approximately 15 to the front face of the case while the end Ifi is inclined at about a 20 angle, the purpose of which will later more fully appear.

2'! indicates the door which is hinged at the side remote from the latch in the usual manner (not shown since the hinging of the door is conventional and not part of the present invention, see for example the hinging of the door 10 in Patent No. 1,979,165 to McLean, October 30, 1934) The door has a frame 21, 2.1 21 sheathed on the outside as at 44 and metal lined on the inside as at 42. The door is recessed at 21 to receive the latching device which includes a catch body 28 having parallel sides 28 with flanges 28 (Fig. 2) for screws 29 which secure the body to the liner 42.

The catch is a peculiar form and is constructed of two outer plates 3| and a set of intermediate or filler plates 32 held together by a rivet 34 and a pin 30. The catch is pivoted on the pin that is mounted in the walls 28 The catch at its latching end is of a hook shape, the hook passing through a slot 42 and at its free end it carries a roller 33 on a pin 35. When in its latching position the roller 33 lies in the depression II of the strike after passing over the hump II (Fig. 1).

The other end of the catch is pivoted at 4I 'to A spring abutment ring 39 lies on the pin 40 against the catch and one end of the spring while the other end of the spring lies against a fiber face plate 36.

31 is a spring retaining plate having a tongue 3'I which cooperates with the catch body 28 in holding the spring against sidewise displacement. The body 28 has a stop tongue 28 for the catch.

The provision of the 20 bevel 16 on the outer end of the push rod [6 gives the door, when unlatched, an initial outward impulse when the pedal 24 is depressed .by the foot of the operator, which, assisted by the spring 38, throws the door open toan angle of approximately 45.

The gasket 43 is of a sufficiently resilient construction to make an air tight seal under the action of the catch spring 38 via the catch and.

strike and yet allow sufficient give for the roller to be forced over the hump with ease.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very rugged, compact assembly which will readily serve its intended purposes -free.of I

structural and mechanical deficiencies.

What I claim is:

In a refrigerator, comprising a door frame,-and' a door for said frame having an outer'wall, a.

strike mounted on said door frame, a push rod mounted in said door frame and adapted to be projected through said strike, a. catch. pivoted.

at one end to said door and having at the other end thereof a hooked end, a guide pin pivotally connected to the pivotal end of said catch and extending toward said door outer wall, a spring encirclingsaid pin and interposed between said door outer wall and said catch pivoted end, said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,979,165 McLean Oct. 30, 1934 2,144,737 McCabe Jan. 24, 1939 2,186,903 Gleason Jan. 9, 1940 2,194,601 Kuethe Mar. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 399,990 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1933 442,310 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1936 

